Has anyone lost a rabbit through neutering?

[suzynick]

I've booked my little wild bun Spudsey in to be spayed on Tuesday morning. :cry: The vet says shes now big enough, is young and healthy so shouldn't be a problem but obviously no guarantee. The only thing concerning her is after the op she wants me to come straight down and collect her rather than she have the stress of coming round somewhere she doesn't know.

I'm very worried but even more so now I've spoken to my partner whos saying that because shes wild she wouldn't have ever been neutered and I'm putting her through something unnatural to a wild rabbit. So his opinion is to not do it and if she does get something wrong with her because of it then thats the way it is, she would have got that anyway if she was in the wild! :evil:

I'd be heartbroken if I lost her, I'm more attached to her than my cats who I've had longer :oops: as I hand-reared her I've formed an enormous bond and I start crying when I think about not having her!:oops::cry:

[Gem]

Yes I have :cry:

BUT he did have a heart condition we didn't know about ;)

[Sooz]

I have just gone right through my records for you and we have had 42 does speyed and lost 2. Both had complications- one a weak heart which gave out under GA and the other had a uterus full of ossified kits.

I have had 2 does with abnormal uteruses successfully speyed, one with lung scarring from pneumonia and a couple of pasteurella sufferers speyed too.

Are you having blood profiling done pre-op?

[suzynick]

Yes I have :cry:

BUT he did have a heart condition we didn't know about ;)

was there any way of finding out he had a heart problem beforehand?

[suzynick]

I have just gone right through my records for you and we have had 42 does speyed and lost 2. Both had complications- one a weak heart which gave out under GA and the other had a uterus full of ossified kits.

I have had 2 does with abnormal uteruses successfully speyed, one with lung scarring from pneumonia and a couple of pasteurella sufferers speyed too.

Are you having blood profiling done pre-op?

Thanks for doing that.

Forgot to ask the vet about the blood tests but will ring tomorrow to say I'd like this done.

[elve]

I think apart from a heart defect, which is rare, it really is down to how good your vet is with rabbits, are they using the right anaesthetic, have they told you about aftercare etc. How much a vet knows about stasis and e-cuniculi are a good way to judge whether they know about rabbits - what do you think of your vet?

[Julia123]

There are always risks with a GA on any animal. Its not common and unfortunately there is no way of knowing. I'm a little concerned that they want you to collect her before she comes round. In my experience this is a vital time to monitor her. Could you speak to a few more vets? Overall though In my opinion the benefits outweigh the risks.

Hope it all goes well xxx

[suzynick]

I think apart from a heart defect, which is rare, it really is down to how good your vet is with rabbits, are they using the right anaesthetic, have they told you about aftercare etc. How much a vet knows about stasis and e-cuniculi are a good way to judge whether they know about rabbits - what do you think of your vet?

I saw the main vet who I think very highly of, she talks honestly and I get on well with her. Can't say I've asked a huge amount of questions but I've never had a problem with the vets I go to they've always been very professional too.

[suzynick]

There are always risks with a GA on any animal. Its not common and unfortunately there is no way of knowing. I'm a little concerned that they want you to collect her before she comes round. In my experience this is a vital time to monitor her. Could you speak to a few more vets? Overall though In my opinion the benefits outweigh the risks.

Hope it all goes well xxx

:oops:Ooops got that all wrong, no she'll be allowed to come round in the vets I just think they don't want to leave her there too long, ie normally I'd pick my animals up after work or something but as soon as they feel shes ok I can pick her up.

[Becki xX]

I'm guessing its the GA your most worried about. I had a little boy under with one lung that didnt work at all, and the other one about to pack in - He was absolutely fine!! :shock: X

[Gem]

was there any way of finding out he had a heart problem beforehand?

I think if we had had bloods done it may have been picked up.

He had Coccidiosis at 12 weeks, we think that weakened his already damaged heart :cry:

Really no way of knowing, although I knew in my heart he wasn't going to come home I still sent him to die :cry:

His brother was done straight after him and came through fine, same with his sister.

I've put off doing his mum in case I loose her too but she'll have all the tests going before I send her off

[chloaster]

Off the top of my head I can't remember how many does we've had spayed but I've only ever lost one; she came round and they lost her carrying her back to her cage. The vet rang to tell me and said that she'd had some concerns about her she was going to talk to me about anyway, she had a very messy uterus and the vet thought the problems may have also affected her heart and lungs.

If your bun is fit and well there's no reason why she shouldn't be just fine. :D

[Doncat5]

Its always a worry, any owner that cares will worry. My little Comet will have to be neutered soon, he's tiny and I'm absolutely dreading it, but I have no choice... he has a retained testicle so theres a increased risk of it turning cancerous.... where as the risk with a female getting cancer is high anyway.

I think the risks of dying from cancer far outweigh the risk of the op, and if we want the longest, healthiest life for our pets, its a risk we have to take. Statistically an unspayed doe has a far greater chance of dying from uterine cancer that dying on the table. I'd never avoiding spaying again, because watching a rabbit you love, die from a preventable cancer is horrible.

Good luck, I'm sure she'll be fine.

[suzynick]

Thanks everyone, Tuesday is going to the worst day of my life but hopefully all will be well.

[rabshan]

YES i have lost 2 does (not recently) my gorgeous French Lop Kadie never recovered from the anesthetic and died in my arms and another girl Milly suffered the same fate so i will not have any more does speyed:cry:
I won,t risk their lives again:cry:

[suzynick]

YES i have lost 2 does (not recently) my gorgeous French Lop Kadie never recovered from the anesthetic and died in my arms and another girl Milly suffered the same fate so i will not have any more does speyed:cry:
I won,t risk their lives again:cry:

But did they have something wrong with them that was discovered during the op?

[capel]

Nia was spayed a week past on Tuesday and she started to arrest during the procedure but they managed to bring her back ( Brilliant vet and assistants)and continue with the op, which is just as well because it was found that her uterus was very badly diseased with a tumour covering the entire uterine horn. Without the op she'd have died of cancer within a month or two. Had she died during the op I still wouldn't have regretted having it done as she'd have died a horrible death through cancer anyway. If I hadn't put her through it I wouldn't have known she had cancer either.

[Doncat5]

YES i have lost 2 does (not recently) my gorgeous French Lop Kadie never recovered from the anesthetic and died in my arms and another girl Milly suffered the same fate so i will not have any more does speyed:cry:
I won,t risk their lives again:cry:

I'm not sure how long ago your talking but things have definately got better than they used to be. Did the same vet perform both ops??

My Dazy reacted badly when she had an op to mend damage caused from a litter mate. I never dare risk another op to have her spayed. At around 8-9yrs I discovered she had uterine cancer and although she'd had a good long life, her quality of life would have been better and she may still have been here now, if I'd had her spayed when younger. I really regret it and always.

To lose a bun under GA must be horrible but to watch them slowly go down hill and then suffer through a preventable cancer is horrendous, and having been there I know I know I'd have to take my chances next time.

[parsnipbun]

We lost a little boy under GA. He was a rescue that had been found wandering alone and was of an unknown age (but young). He had to have an op for ear damage and never made it through. The op was quite long apparently to try and stick the ear back on.
At the time my vets said that they do at least 5-10 rabbit ops a week and had never lost one before except when they already knew of a risk factor or illness (ie an older bun or one being operated on to try and 'save it'). They suspected an underlying heart problem as he had just suddely lost his heart rate and failed to respond to efforts to re-start - but we didn't have any post mortem.

It was SO hard to then have my other ones neutered when the time came - but today little pumpkin went in and has just come out again declared fine. Although as we had delayed it so long (she is a year now) she had become a rather 'mumsy/chubby' shape and it made it more difficult for the vet as she had internal fat layers.

We will now have our other younger female done next week (she is 6 months) .

As my vet said to me - breaking the news of the death was dreadful - and the last thing she would want to do now is have to break news of uterine cancer as a result of my not having them neutered.

Be brave - but MAKE SURE you choose a vet who has LOTS of experience even if it means travelling.

twigs

[hooleyslops]

i lost my baby Pumpkin just last week under GA:cry:. he and his brother went in at the same time and his little heart gave out when he was put under. his brother pulled through fine. i am now in a state about whether to continue with my other 2 boys who are due to be neutured this spring. i know its the right thing to do for them and i will probably still go ahead but the distress that i felt over the death of Pumpkin was huge and its still so painful. i think we all know that there is a risk and we have to weigh it up and do whats best for the bun. you must have a vet that you can 100% put your faith in. good luck in whatever you decide to do. x x

[FriskyClover]

I am always worried to death when mine have a GA. When Inky had broken his toe, I was so upset at taking him for the X ray that my mum had to come too and translate my sobbing:oops:.

I've had Inky neutered and Smokey spayed, I was worried about them both but if I'm honest, particualrly with Smokey, it has really improved her quality of life (no more phantom pregnancies).

I go to the same vet as you and they gave me pretty good advice both times regarding aftercare, etc. They even asked me what food they liked veg wise so they could offer them some. I think I picked Smokey up sometime in the afternoon when she had been done, I dropped her off at 8.30am.

My tip is to get them used to their carrier before they go and make sure it has a soft blanket or something in their for the journey home.

[Pink Badger]

I lost my lovely Sqiggles due to her spey.:cry:

The vet nicked her bowel durrring surgery and she died 2 days later.
The vets concerned have always been really good with my rabbits and I know that accidents happen, but I couldn't take another bunny to be neutered there now.

I have Lottie booked in for her spey with a different vet on Tuesday.
I know i'll be even more nervous having lost Sqiggles the way I did. I keep telling my self how unlucky it would be for it to happen again but I'm not sure I totally believe it.

[donnamt]

a bloke i work with lost a girl, they nicked something important during the op and she died soon after, his wife refuses to have the current girl done because of it :(

Alvin had a pre-op check the night before to make sure he was in peak health for the op... im sure had anything shown up abnormal they'd have postponed

[Maizy]

I have lost two sisters after speying. The vets didn't do anything wrong and couldn't give any indication of why it happened, but suggested it could have been a genetic problem. Both girls had a pre op health check before hand and were given a clean bill of health so I'll never know what happened. I'd be lying if I said I don't have any reservations about having another one of my girls put through it now, despite the risks of uterine cancer. I wish you all the best for the op.

[H and Ro]

I lost my gorgeous lionhead Vivi under GA. She was being spayed at 7 months. There was no indication that it would happen and it was the first time the vet had lost a rabbit to neutering in over ten years of regular operations.

It broke my heart at the time and I felt so guilty. The odds are in the rabbit's favour when they have been spayed and its the right thing to do, even when it goes wrong.

[Jayney]

i think so long as you have a good vet who is knowledgable about rabbits it is very rare to lose a rabbit who doesnt have some kind of underlying problems.

[suzynick]

Thanks everyone for your messages, Spudsey is booked in with the vets tomorrow morning.

I'll let you all know as soon as she's back and ok!